The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to external medical devices that may be attached to a patient's tissue using electroadhesion.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In the field of healthcare, caregivers (e.g., doctors and other healthcare professionals) often desire to monitor certain physiological characteristics of their patients. Accordingly, a wide variety of monitoring devices have been developed for monitoring many such physiological characteristics. These monitoring devices often provide doctors and other healthcare personnel with information that facilitates provision of the best possible healthcare for their patients. As a result, such monitoring devices have become a fixture of modern medicine.
Often the monitoring devices, or probes or sensors associated with the monitoring devices, are applied to the patient, such as to the skin or mucosal tissue of the patient. For example, pulse oximetry sensors may be applied to a finger, forehead, or ear lobe of a patient. Similarly, electrodes for use with an electrocardiograph (ECG) or electroencephalograph (EEG) device may be respectively applied to the torso and the head of a patient. In addition to monitoring devices, some treatment or therapy devices may also be attached to the patient, such as a mask for use with ventilating a patient.
In some instances such applied devices may be attached using adhesive compositions. However such adhesive compositions may make removal of the device uncomfortable and may leave a tacky residue at the site of application. Further, use of adhesive compositions may be unsuitable for certain patients, such as burn victims, the elderly, or neonates, whose skin may be sensitive or damaged.
Likewise, the use of mechanical attachment mechanisms, such as straps, bands, and wraps, may also be unsatisfactory. In particular, such mechanical attachments may prevent or limit patient movement. Further, mechanical attachment mechanisms may be subject to over- or under-tightening when applied, which may result in suboptimal performance of the medical device and/or patient discomfort.